Hydraulic excavating apparatus



v F. L. WARD HYDRAULIC EXCAVATING APPARATUS Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,027

Filed April 11 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wvento'c fitter/140,1 0

DeQZO, 1927. 1,653,027

F. L. WARD HYDRAULIC EXCAVATING APPARATUS Filed April 11 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (1% 0 66 B Q] C o Svweutoz [319 ci'erzc Z. y AQQZZM/A Patented Dec. 20, 1927. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.-

rnnnnnro 1;. WARD, or oxronn, MicHIGAN.

mznnatrnro nXoAvArma APPARATUS.

Application filed April 11, 1927. Serial a... 182,892.

through the pump having an abrasive efl'ect thereon. Another method is to use an injector nozzle forimparting velocity to the liquid stream within the conduit thereby avoiding passing the material through the pump. However, with both methods the percentage of liquid to solid material passing through the conduit is very high and the conveyance of the material is dependent upon the velocity of the stream.

It is a primary object of the present invention to increase the percentage of solid to liquid material carried through the conduit thereby increasing capacity and reducing cost of operation. o

It is a further object to utilize the hydro static pressure of the body of water beneath which the bed is located for positively lift ing the material rather than depending upon the velocity of the flowing stream.

With these and other minor objects in view the invention consists in the method and apparatus as hereinafter set forth;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section througha portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a modified construction. 1 A

To effectively use the hydrostatic pressure of the water for lifting the material, it is necessary, first to insert the suction conduit into the material to sufiicient depthto substantially seal around the same;-second to reduce the back pressure within the conduit so that the external pressure will become effective. This is preferably accomplished, by the use of a substantially vertically arranged suction conduit A depending from the inclined conduit B through which the material is conveyed upward above the surface of the water. The conduit A is preferably ofsub stantially uniform diameter throughout its length and is also preferably providediwith an annular series of jets C foriloosening the material" in the bed thereby facilitatin vthe lowering of the conduit thereinto. dja

cent to the point of juncture of the conduit A and the conduitB there is arranged an e ector comprisinga Venturi tube D and -a nozzle E for directing a stream centrally thereinto. The throat of the venturi is of a diameter equal to the internal diameter of the conduit A so that any material entering through the latter can pass-through said throat. Also, the parts are so proportioned and arranged that all back pressure is .re-

moved from the entrance end of the conduit A thereby making the external hydrostatic pressure effective.

The nozzle E is preferably supplied with A water under high pressure conveyed thereto through a conduit F and return bend G. It

is not, however, absolutely necessary that water should be used as any'fluid under sufficient pressure may be utilized in the jet for imparting velocity to the liquid column and eliminating back pressure in the'suction conduit. As shown in Eigure3, I have combined with the water nozzle E an inner nozzle H for compressed air. This will assist in developing a high pressure jet and more economically than by the use of water alone. Thejet C surrounding the suction conduit may be supplied with fluid through the hollow wall of. said conduit which may be con nected by a conduit I with the supply conduit G.

With the construction as described, in operation the conduit B is lowered by suitabe means not shown untilthe mouth of the conduit A rests upon the bed and the weight of the apparatus together with the action of the jet C will then cause the conduit A to penetrate the bed to a considerable. depth. This will substantially seal around the outside of the conduit A so that the hydrostatic pressure acting on the-loosened material will force this bodily upward through the conduit. As the material at the mouth is removed more material from the surroundin wall of aggregate will become loosened and fall in thereby maintaining. the seal. The conduit may also be moved laterally into new material-as fast is it becomes exhausted at any one point. I

Where air is introduce'd'through the nozzle H to supplement the water from the nozzle E and passes upward through the inclined coni duit B there is danger of separation between the air and water, the air rising to the top and the water remaining below. This can be" avoided by' aspiral twisting or rifiing of the conduit indicated at J .which by inducing a whirling or centrifugal action will keep .the two fluids commingled. This, however, forms the subject matter of another api aqueous deposits which consists in inserting a suction conduit to-a sufficient depth within the mass to maintain a substantial seal around the mouth thereof and reducing the back pressure within said conduit whereby the material is lifted therein by the hydrostatic pressure of the overlying body of water. j

V 2. The method of excavating and removing sandand gravel aggregate from subaqueous deposits which consists in inserting a suction conduit to a sufficient depth withinthe material to maintain a substantial seal around the mouth thereof and in injecting fluid into'the lower portion of sald conduit in an upward direction to remove the back pressure and to permit the material to be lifted within said conduit by-the hydrostatic pressure of the overlying body of water.

3. The method. of excavating and removing sand and gravel aggregate from' subaqueous deposits which consists in inserting the lower end of a' suction conduit into the mass to a sufiicient depth to substantially seal around the mouth thereof, directing high pressure fluid jets around the mouth of said conduit into the material to loosen the same and to assist in the insertion of the conduit and in injecting fluid into the lower I portion of said conduit under sufiicient ressure to substantially eliminate the ack hydrostatic pressure within said conduit whereby, the material is lifted within said conduit by the hydrostatic pressure of the overlying body of water.

4. The method of excavating and remov-' d ing .sand and gravel aggregate from subaqueous deposits which consists in inserting a suction conduit within the materlal and loosening the material around the mouth of said conduit to maintain a substantial seal by said loosened material and in ejecting the fluid from the lower portion of said conduit in an upward direction to remove the back pressure whereby said loosened material is lifted within the conduit by the hydrogate and to a sufficient depth to maintain a substantial seal of the material around its vmouth and a fluid operated upwardly directed ejector in the lower portion of said conduit for'substantially removing the hydrostatic back pressure.

6. In an apparatus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from sub-aqueous d-eposits comprising a conveyor conduit adapted to be lowered from the surface of the water into an inclined position, a mouth ortion for said conduit extending substantlally vertically from the lower end thereof and adapted to be buried in the material to be removed and a fluid operated upwardly directed Venturi ejector in said conduit the throat of said venturi being not less in diameter than said mouth.

7. In an apparatus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from. sub-aqueous deposits com rising a conveyor conduit adapted to be owered from the surface of .the water into an inclined position with its lower end adjacent to the deposit, a substanvertical downward extension of said tiall cond ilit adapted to be buried in the material and a fluid operated upwardly directed Yenturi ejector in the lower portion of said inclined conduit having its throat' not less in diameter than the mouth of said vertical portion.

8. In an apparatus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from sub-aqueous deposits comprising a conveyor conduit ada ted to be lowered from the surface of t e water into an inclined position and provided at its lower end with a substantially vertical downward extension, said extension being buried in the material and being of substantially uniform diameter and an upwardly directed fluid operated Venturi ejector in the lower portion of said inclined conduitand having its throat not less in diameter than the mouth of said vertical portion.

9. In an apparatus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from sub-aqueousdeposits comprisin a conveyor conduit ada ted to be lowered into an inclined positlon from the surface of the water, the lower end of said conduit being provided with a substantially vertically extending portion adapted to' be buried in the material, said vertical portion being of substantiall uniform diameter and being provided wit fluid jets for loosening the material in which its mouth is buried and an upwardly directed fluid operated Venturi ejector in the lower portion of said inclined conduit having its throat not less in diameter than the mouth of said conduit.

10. In an apparatus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from sub-aqueous deposits comprising a conveyor conduit adapted to be lowered from the surface of the water into an inclined position, a fluid jet nozzle at the lower end of said conduit directed upwardly there-into. a fluid supply conduit for said nozzle extending downward from the surface of the water, a Venturi tube within said conduit above said nozzle and a downward extension connecting into said conveyor conduit in advance of said Venturi tube, said extension being substantially vertical and of substantially uniform diameter and being adapted to have its lower end.

buried in the material to be removed.

11. In an appartus for excavating sand and gravel aggregate from sub-aqueous deposits comprising a conveyor conduit adaptfrom the surface of the water. a Venturi tube within said conduit above said'nozzle and a downward extension connecting into said conveyor conduit in. advance of said Venturi tube, said extension being substantially vertical and of substantially uniform diameter and being adapted to have its lower end buried in the material to be removed, and fluid jets directed downward from the lower end of the vertical extension of said conduit, said jets being supplied from the source of fluid supply forthe Venturi jet.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FREDERIO L. WARD. 

